Rite Aid Stores Get Energy-Star Rating

Rite Aid (East Pennsboro Township, Pa.) has been awarded Energy Star certification from the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for superior energy performance. The stores are located in Enfield, Conn., Merrimack, N.H., and Cranston, R.I.

Each store is 25 percent more energy efficient since undergoing an energy-reducing overhaul, which included upgrades to store lighting, HVAC and energy management systems.

Specific actions taken by Rite Aid were replacing 120-watt fluorescent ceiling fixtures with lower-wattage lamps and high-efficiency, low-output ballasts. Fluorescent bulbs in the freezers and coolers were replaced with LED light bars that use less energy and generate less heat. Sensors were installed to activate the store fans to run only when needed. Air conditioning units were replaced with high-efficiency units. And the lighting timers were programmed for fixtures to be kept at half-power when customers aren’t in a certain section.

The drugstore chain operates more than 4700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia.